There have been recently introduced useful cable articles from materials that are composite and thus cannot readily be plastically deformed to a new shape. Common examples of these materials include fiber reinforced composites which are attractive due to their improved mechanical properties relative to metals but are primarily elastic in their stress strain response. Composite cables containing fiber reinforced polymer wires are known in the art, as are composite cables containing ceramic fiber reinforced metal wires, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,559,385 and 7,093,416; and Published PCT Application WO 97/00976. One use of composite cables (e.g., cables containing polymer matrix composite or metal matrix composite wires) is as a reinforcing member in bare (i.e. non-insulated) cables used for above-ground electrical power transmission.
In addition, in some applications, it may be desirable to use stranded composite cables for electrical power transmission. Cable stranding is a process in which individual ductile wires are combined, typically in a helical arrangement, to produce a finished cable. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,171,942 and 5,554,826. Helically stranded power transmission cables are typically produced from ductile metals such as steel, aluminum, or copper. In some cases, such as bare overhead electrical power transmission cables, a helically stranded wire core is surrounded by a wire conductor layer. The helically stranded wire core could comprise ductile metal wires made from a first material such as steel, for example, and the outer power conducting layer could comprise ductile metal wires made from another material such as aluminum, for example. In some cases, the helically stranded wire core may be a pre-stranded composite cable used as an input material to the manufacture of a larger diameter electrical power transmission cable. Helically stranded composite cables generally may comprise as few as seven individual wires to more common constructions containing 50 or more wires.
In application, it is desirable to communicate the extending end of a given length of power cable, in both an insulated and effective current conducting fashion and such as to a succeeding and interconnecting length of cable. A cable to cable connection is typically made with a union or splice connection. Alternatively, another conventionally known connection for high current transfer power line is to an insulator string associated with an overhead tower or transmission support structure. Such a connection is conventionally known as a “dead-end” or connection or termination. Connector assemblies for conventional non-composite cables used in high current transfer (i.e. electrical power) transmission line applications are known generally in the art, for example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,384,704 and 5,647,046.
Exemplary compression cable connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,596. An exemplary dead-end compression connection assembly is illustrated in FIG. 1. An elongated and interiorly hollow metal tube 12 is provided, the tube having a first end 14 and a second end 16 and a desired polygonal (hexagonal, circular, etc.) cross sectional shape. The metal tube 12 has a selected interior diameter 18 and a plurality of spaced apart and accordion-like corrugations 20 extending along a selected axial length of the tube 12. A heavy duty eyelet 22 is integrally formed with and extending from the second end 16, and a felt washer 24 is slidably engaged over the metal tube 12 and inter-disposed between the spaced apart corrugations 20. An aluminum sleeve 26 is provided and includes a first end 28 and a second end 30. The sleeve 26 further exhibits a selected outer diameter no greater than the interior diameter 18 of the tube 12, such that the sleeve 26 is capable of being axially inserted through a selected end and into the tube 12.